Apple's Run at Auto Industry Makes Tier-1 Suppliers Nervous

Apple tends to penetrate markets in a big way, so after quietly entering the car infotainment sector this year, the OEM giant is beginning to attract a lot of attention in the automotive world -- particularly from tier-1 suppliers that could directly compete against Apple. In the immediate future, CarPlay, Apple's iOS for automotive infotainment, will begin to show up in cars. So far, Ferrari, Honda, Hyundai, Jaguar, Mercedes-Benz, and Volvo plan to offer Apple's CarPlay as an option in 2014. Other major carmakers are expected to follow their lead. The interface will eventually be available in 25 million cars by 2020, according to IHS Automotive.

On a consumer level, this means users will be able to sync their iPhones with their dashboards in cars that offer CarPlay. The dashboard displays the CarPlay iOS interface, allowing users to check email, texts, Facebook, and other things; run the iPhone navigation app; and stream music from their iPhones with a dashboard touchscreen.

Carmakers will offer CarPlay as an option that users can select among other smartphone interfaces. At least initially, carmakers will hesitate to lock out customers who have Android or other non-Apple smartphones. They will thus continue to offer other infotainment options in their models that can work with Nokia, Android, and Sony smartphones, as well as with iPhones.

Dont think if carmakers would have the liberty of blocking Android users, looking at how many use Android in their phones. Carmakers have to allow all the leading Smartphone OS atleast in the starting. Or may be carmakers would let customers decide depending on the phones they have.